Improvement in seed-drjlls



UNITE JACOB MUMMA,IOF HUMMELSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN seen-onlus.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 6,355, dated November 20, 1849.

Improvements in Seed-Drills; land I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes it from all other things before known, and ofthe usual inanner ot' making, modifying, and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 'making a part of this specification, in Whieh- Figure 1 is a vperspective view; Fig. 2, a vertical section.

The object of my invention is to secure an equal distribution of seed in the drills, either lin ascending or descending hills, to vregulate the exact quantity sown per acre, and to distributethe seed in the drill so that it will be 'more perfect in its growth and yield more than those in ordinary use. The parts are constituted as follows: There is a pair of carrying-wheels, the one of which only is fixed to the axle, so as to cause it to turn with it. The other wheel, beingloose, enables the machine to turn readily.`

On the revolving axle there is a series of plain narrow rollers or pulleys, b, as many in number as there areieeth in the drill, one roller being over each tooth.

A frame, c, is supported by said wheels, from which a pole projects. to draw it by.

The bearings ot' the axle-journals are connected with the frame c by side plates, e, so that the teeth can be raised or lowered to suit the soil in which it is worked. 4

The hopperfis aihxed to and supported by -the same plate, so as to always maintain the sarlne relative vposition to the pulleys, or the ax e.

Over each of the pulleys f there is a mouthpiece ofcast-iron. (Shown detached in Fig. 3.) The pulley-tits in a concave groove on the under side of this mouth piece, through which there is a mortise covered in whole or in part by a slide, g, that fits into a recess made for it in the mouth-piece, which latter is attached to the hopper and freely receives the grain from it. e

All the slides g project infront of the hop per, and are connected with a horizontal shaft,

h, by vertical arms. This shaft h is moved by" along lever, i, aflixed near its center, that extends up in a curved line over the hopperQ and terminates in ahandle, by which 'it is acted upon toniove the slides out. They are closed by a spring, k, to regulate the quantity of grain sownto the'acre.

l have a catch, l, with a series of notches on it and affixed to a bar, l', projecting up beside the lever i. ffhe notches are determined and numbered to the quantity of grain to the acre. Thus when the lever is put in the notch l it will sow one bushel to the acre; when in 1%, it will sow one bushel and a half, and so on to any other number.

rlhe teeth m are made hollow and with a broad base-say four inches across. rlhey open'the drill for the reception ofthe seed, and are firmly attached to the cross-beam ot' the frame c above, as clearly shown .in the drawings. n, which are attached to the teeth in front and extend up to a brace in an angular direction. These confine them in place behind the tenth tube, o, and placed with their open end directly under the pulleys, and receive the seeds and convey them down directly behind the teeth, where they strike a conical plate, p, (see Fig. 2,) and are distributed equallyin the drill.

1n all directions I deem-this device very in1 portant in perfecting the sowing of the seed.

When the sowing is to be stopped the lever 'i is to be thrown oit, and the slides are closed by spring la.

To the hind partof the frame e a small trunk `is jointed, with a long lever, q, attached to it,

by which the whole seeding apparatus is raised from the ground. Itis transported from place to place.

Having thus fully described my improvements, what I claim therein as -new, and for which I desire Letters Patent, is

1. The combination ofthe plain pulleys b, mouth-pieces, and slides g, operating, as above set forth, for regulating the discharge of the grain.

2. The conical plates p at the lower end of the tubes for distributing grain.

v JACOB MUMMA.

Witnesses:

J. J. GREENOUGH, N. H. HU'rroN.

The teeth are braced by iron rodsv 

